Monkey Health Explorer

Video Tutorials
Marking cells

Talk boards

Identifying WBCs

Q. How can I set it up to better see the Field Guide while I work?
A. You can set up a side-by-side view of the project and the Field guide by doing the following:

• Right-click on a guide and open in a new tab.
• Drag that new tab away from the browser to a separate window.
• Size the two windows to optimize the view.
  Narrowing the width of the activity window can move the extra information under the slide image, making the slide image the full width of the window.

Q. I see a large, dark shape in a cell. How can I tell if it's a Monocyte or a Lymphocyte?
A. Monocytes are 2-3 times the size of the surrounding red blood cells, while Lymphocytes are only slightly larger than the red blood cells.

Q. I see a few connected dark shapes in the cell. How can I tell if it's a Eosinophil or a Neutrophil?
A. Neutrophils have a lighter cytoplasm (background), while the Eosinophils have tiny, dark granules that created a darker cytoplasm, especially along the edge of the cell.

Q. What if I can't tell if something is a white blood cell or debris?
A. Do your best to identify any white blood cells using the example images of white blood cells and debris in the Field Guide.

Q. What if I know it's a white blood cell, but I'm unsure about the white blood cell type?
A. Some white blood cells don't quite fit the typical description for their type. Please look closely at the guide to see which type it most closely matches and mark your best determination. Remember to look for a darker background and outline of an Eosinophil, which can otherwise look like a Neutrophil.

Q. What if I don't see any white blood cells on an image?
A. That is possible and there's no need to mark anything if there aren't any white blood cells, just click "Done" to move to the next image.

Q. What if a white blood cell is on the edge of the image?
A. Only mark the cell if you can see enough to tell what it is. Do your best to determine the cell type.

Q. What if an image doesn't appear to have the red-ish staining that I usually see?
A. Some slides have sections with poor staining, so the red blood cells look like pale ghosts. You should still be able to see the darker staining of the interior portions of the white blood cells.

Q. Why are some images blurry or poorly stained?
A. The blood smears are performed in the field at Cayo Santiago, so the conditions aren't always ideal to make perfect blood slides. We are working on reimaging a few slides that were imaged at a lowed resolution and will replace them as we get them. Please just do your best.